Mail-box.



l E. B. SULTZ.

MAIL BOX. y PPLIUATION FILED JAN. 18, 1910. 990,925. Patented May 2, 1911.

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FANNIE B. SULTZ, OF HARTLAND, KANSAS.

MAIL-BOX.

ceases.

residing at Hartland, in the county of- Kearny and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to mail boxes and more particularly to mail boxes for use on rural delivery routes, the object of the invention being to provide an improved box of this character adapted to serve all of the purposes usually served by such boxes and in addition, to provide an out-going mail receiving pocket of such character that the mail may be removed therefrom with a minimum of trouble upon the part of the carrier.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved visual. signal controlled by the movement of the door of the box, as will be hereinafter set forth.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows: i

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a perspective view .of a mail box constructed in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof with the door open, Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the box, Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section therethrough, and, Fig. 5 is a transverse section through said box.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 5 designates the box body. Access to the interior of this box may be had through a door 6 located at one end of the box and controlled by a combination lock 7, it being understood that this door is for the purpose of permitting the postman to have access to the interior of the box, when it is desired to place packages therein that are too bulky to pass through the usual letter and small article receiving and conducting channels now to be described.

Hinged at 8 to the front wall of the box 5, is a door 9, this door having a longitudinal, out-turned flange 10 at its lower end which limits the downward and outward movement of said door beyond a substantially horizontal plane. A spring tongue 11 secured to the top of the box is adapted to have frictional engagement with a like Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 18, 1910.

Patented May 2, 1911.

Serial No. 538,683.

spring tongue 12 secured to the door 9, the frictional engagement of these parts normally holding the door 9 in its closed position to exclude wind, rain, snow, and the like, from the interior of the box.

Brackets 13 secured to the inner face of the end walls of the box (see Fig. l) provide bearings for a shaft 14. This shaft carries, adjacent its opposite ends, disks 15.

Radial wings 1G (see Fig. l) extend longitudinally between these disks and when the door 9 is opened, the mail to be deposited is placed upon one of these wings and the structure formed by the wings 1G and the disks 15 is rotated until the letters or other mail matter drops into the lower portion of the box 5.

An out-going mail pocket 17 is secured to the inner face of the front wall of the box and comprises a bottom 18 and an inner wall 19, said inner wall being curved to conform to the curvature of the disks 15. Outgoing letters or other mail, indicated at 20, when placed in this pocket, are held securely therein by the door 9, when said door is closed, but it is apparent that when the door is opened, the curvature of the wall 2O is suoli as to cause the out-going mail to fall outwardly, in such position that it may be readily picked up by the mail-carrier. The limiting of the downward swinging of the door 9 grates against the possibility of the mail falling out of the pocket and upon the ground, this door forming a shelf-like member in front of the out-going mail carrying pocket.

The location of the out-going mail pocket 17, in the position shown in Fig. 4aids in preventing the insertion of wires or other objects, for the purpose of illegally removing the contents of the box by dishonest persons.

A visual signal comprising a flag 21 and a staff 22 is employed. The staff 22 has an elongated slot 23 formed therein that engages a pin 24e, said pin projecting from the end wall of the box 5 and forming a pivot upon which the flag 21 swings, it being apparent that the weight of the flag is such as to normally tend to swing the bottom of the staff 22 upwardly, the flag itself tending to fall away from the door 9. A stop member 24 catches the flag and limits its downward movement. To hold the flag in an upright position as long as the door 9 is closed, said door is provided with an extension 25, this extension lying, when the door is closed, in front of the otherwise open end 26 of a Z-shaped keeper 27. It is apparent that when the door 9 is swung outwardly and downwardly, the projection 25 is moved away from in front of the lower end of the stail 22, the weight of the flag 2l at this time, causing` the flag to fall inwardly until it engages with the stop 24. t is apparent that the slot 9.8 permits the movement of the signal Hag to either its lowered or its raised position, even though the door 9 is closed, it being,l of course understood that this movement of the flag 2l must be performed by hand. To aid in further excluding` rain from the box, a projecting ledge 28 is formed upon the end wall of the box over the door (i.

From the foregoing description, `it will be seen that simple and eHicient means are herein provided for accomplishing` the objects of the invention, but while the elements shown and described are well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth, but includes within its purview such changes as may be made within the scope or the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

A mail box comprising a body portion having an elongated opening formed in the upper side of the front wall thereof, a vertically swinging door hingedly mounted along its lower edge to close said opening, means for preventing said door from swinging` down beyond a horizontal position, a rotative mail carrying closure supported within said box and adjacent said opening, and an out-going mail carrying pocket secured to the inner side of the front wall of the box, said pocket comprising a bottom wall and a curved rear wall which conforms to the curvature of the rotative carrier, said vertically swinging door when in its closed position, forming the front wall of said pocket, the front of said pocket being otherwise unobstructed.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FANNIE B. SULTZ.

Vitnesses M. A. BAsLER, Gr. W. SHIEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

